Fabrication and Characterization of Novel Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials Based on P(TDA-co-HDA)/GO Composites

Abstract

Shape-stabilized phase change materials (SPCMs) are green, reusable energy storage materials. Because the melting temperature of n-alkyl acrylate copolymer is adjustable by controlling the side-chain length, the appropriate melting temperature can be achieved. Poly(tetradecyl acrylate-co-hexadecyl acrylate) (P(TDA-co-HDA)) with a molar ratio of 1:1 and SPCMs were fabricated via an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method and a solution blending method with P(TDA-co-HDA) as a thermal storage material and graphene oxide (GO) as a supporting substance. In this composite, an SPCM was achieved, which absorbed heat at 29.9 °C and released it at 12.1 °C with a heat storage capacity of 70 J/g at a mass ratio of GO of 10%. The material retained its shape without any leakage at 60 °C, which was much higher than that of the melting temperature of P(TDA-co-HDA). The SPCMs exhibited good crystallization behaviors and excellent thermal reliabilities after 100 thermal cycles. The thermal properties of the P(TDA-co-HDA)/GO composite PCMs with various GO loadings were also investigated. The novel shape-stabilized PCMs fabricated in this study have potential uses in thermal energy storage applications.